Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1887-12-02
THE W4GON Road.
WHat 1t VIII DO for Idaho COMn-
tn and TerritOry--- Ways
and Means, Etc.

Our recent visit to southern Idaho
was made for the principal purpose Of
ascertaining the views of the people
down there on the subject of getting the
next legislature to appropriate sufti-
cient money at it's next session to build
a wagon road from Little Salmon Mead
ows in Washington county, to White
Bird in this county. The road will fol-
low down the Little Salmon. cross the
main stream by means of ferry boat
and continue down to White Bird on
this side of the river.
All through southern Idaho we were
assured of cordial support, and general
regret was expressed that the people of
the north had not pressed the matter
years ago.
The road will run through portions OF
Washington, Boise and Idaho counties.
1t will open up the heart of the rich
Salmon river mineral country, pave the
way for the exploration and develop.
ment of new mining camps and largely
increase the market for all kinds of
home produce. The entire territory
will be benefited by the increase of
population and revenue derived from
country that will forever remain as
sealed book without this projected road.
Under the stimulus of this road Idaho
county will speedily attain the rank of
a first class county. Without it, she
will remain Chinese-cursed, low-clas
county, and we shall continue to suck
the hind teat of the territorial SOW.
Mule pack trains are away behind the
times in these progressive days, and the
community which continues to employ
them when it can get better transporta-
ton facilities for the asking, will find
itself stranded high and dry in the tidal
wave of civilization which has made
itself felt everywhere in this territory
except Lewiston and Camas prairie and
tributary country. This region has
been practically standing still while
other sections with not 1.-THE OF our
resources have outgrown IFS and become
centers of capital and civilization. One
principal cause of our backward growth
is the folly of the people in being led
astray by the annexation clique in
Lewiston, who endeavor to make the
people believe that the transferring of
these counties from one government to
another will make everybody rich
without work, and we shall all have
money to fling at the birds, and oppor-
tunities for present good are neglected
in order to advance a chimerical scheme
that will benefit nobody but the selfish
politicians in Lewiston who projected
it. The people must shake themselves
free from these barnacles in Lewiston
who have always opposed the building
of this road because it would destroy
their sole political stock-in-trade. We
must open up our county SO that people
may get in and ont without having to
break their necks climbing over the
down timber.
The present plan is to go to Congress
for authority for the legislature to
appropriate money from the territorial
treasury or to bond the territory for the
amount required to build the road II
is not a purely county matter. The
road crosses three counties in such a
way that the cost of construction would
be out of proportion to the benefits to
be derived by each. Furthermore, it ia
impossible to secure unity of action on
the part of the three counties interested,
and If cooperation could be secured,
they would be prevented from building
it by q recent act Of congress which
prohibits county Indebtedness above a
certain sum based upon the total pro-
perry valuation of the county. These
counties are already in debt to the
maximum amount allowed by law, and
the road is of so much importance to
the territory at large in making accessi-
bic vast areas ofvirgin country in Wash
ington. Boise, Alturas, Lemli, Custer
and Idaho counties, that the best and
most feasible plan is for the territory to
build the road. The bill to be intro
dnced into congress was drawn by Hon.
II. q johnson, territorial attorney gen.
eral. and will be actively pushed by Mr..
Dubois. The Boise city board of trade
will also memorialise congress to pass
the bill, and everything looks favorable
for its passage. Press discussion is now
in order.